The Ugandan boys started strongly, finishing in second place after the day’s round behind record winners South Africa as the All-Africa Junior Golf Challenge started Tuesday.

Asaba. PHOTO: Michael Nsubuga

The Ugandan boys started strongly, finishing in second place after the day’s round behind record winners South Africa as the All-Africa Junior Golf Challenge started Tuesday.

Uganda junior golfers' dream of competing at the 2019 Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan could become a reality if their day-one performance at the Phakalane Golf Estate Club in Botswana is anything to go by.

The Ugandan boys started strongly, finishing in second place after the day's round behind record winners South Africa as the All-Africa Junior Golf Challenge started Tuesday.

Going into the second round Wednesday, Uganda's team will be hoping to exhibit similar form and reduce the strokes gap between the leaders, according to team coach Stephen Kasaija.

"The boys are doing well. So far so Good! But you know in golf, you don't announce the funeral of your opponent before you finish the last hole in the round. But we want to ensure the ones following us do not to get close," Kasaija stated through a chat.

On Tuesday, Uganda was paired with Morocco players and they were no match for the Ugandans who played much better than them.

National team rookies Ibrahim Aliga and Michael Alunga returned a scoring 73 and 75, with Denis Asaba's 74 also counting on the day's scores which they hope to improve on.

"It's dry and windy here but we are coping well, we have to make it to Japan this time," Alunga said.

Team captain Joel Basalaine returned a non-scoring 76 in the four-day annual championship that ends on Saturday. The best three scores per team count on the team's total scores.

Uganda can qualify for Japan if they can finish second in the annual tournament that defending champions South Africa has won a record 20 times. The winning team and the runners-up of the Africa qualifier will represent Africa in Japan against the cream of global junior golf in Japan later this year.